The Beauty, The Beast, and The Beau
by CoralGirl
Summary: For nearly five years, the Beast has been waiting for someone to come and break his curse. The person that would break the curse, however, might not be who he imagined.
1. Prologue

_Once upon a time in a faraway land a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish and unkind. _

_But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift, and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. _

_The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late. For she had seen that there was no love in his heart and as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. _

_Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle. With the magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, than the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. _

_As the years passed, he fell into despair. And lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?_


	2. Giselle

Alain exited his cottage with a book in hand, saying a quick goodbye to his father before leaving. Atypical for late fall, the weather was warm and he left wearing a simple cloth suit. He began to head towards the only bookstore in their tiny town in order to return a book he had borrowed. He tried to think of anything else he might want to do once there, but his mind was blank. Perhaps he could...

"Bonjour, Alain!"

A familiar voice called out his name in obvious excitement. He turned around to see the town beauty, Giselle, waving at him from inside the baker's shop. Giselle quickly grabbed her purchase and exited the store. As usual, she wore a beautiful dress that probably cost as much as what Alain and his father made in a year. Her jet-black, carefully brushed hair cascaded down to her waist while her bangs framed her heart-shaped face. She wore practical yet fashionable ballet style shoes and a simple gold necklace with small round golden earrings. Her beauty queen image was finished off by her piercing blue eyes and even and unblemished skin.

"Bonjour, Mademoiselle Giselle," replied Alain.

"Oh you," Giselle pouted prettily at his response, "we've known each other for many years now. You can stop with the Mademoiselle business. I am just Giselle."

Alain responded with a smile. He resumed walking towards the bookshop, making a sign towards Giselle that she could follow along. Immediately, she began chattering away about whatever came to mind. Alain barely responded, preferring to stay quiet while Giselle kept talking. Eventually, they approached the empty bookstore.

As they walked in, a bell at the door alerted the elderly clerk that manned the shop. Alain immediately brightened and began to talk with the man.

"Hello, Monsieur!" he exclaimed, "I'm here to return the book I borrowed."

"Finished with it already?" said the clerk in surprise, "I only lent it out to you the day before yesterday!"

"Well, I couldn't put it away, could I? It was amazing!"

"How you ever finish all your chores on time, I'll never know," replied the clerk with a small shake of his head.

The two continued talking, stopping only to catch their breath. They talked about their favorite books, authors, and stories. The entire time, Giselle awkwardly stood by the door, waiting for Alain to finish his business with the clerk. Although she knew how to read and write basic things, Giselle was not interested in books, especially if they did not have any pictures to look at.

Her mind must have started wandering while the two men talked, however, because she jumped a little when Alain turned around and asked her if she was ready to go.

"Ready to go?" asked Alain.

"Ah, yes!" she replied, with a small blush on her face.

Immediately after they left the shop, Alain began to read the new book he borrowed. Giselle was just surprised Alain could read and walk at the same time without falling and dying. He seemed too engrossed to pay attention to his surroundings.

This gave Giselle the opportunity to stare at Alain as much as she wanted. He looked absolutely breathtaking. With his cheap and simple farmer clothes, he should have looked plain, but there was something about him that just exhumed beauty. His skin was clear and slightly tanned from spending time outdoors. His dark brown hair was cropped to his neck and slicked back slightly. His brown eyes quickly scanned the text in front of him. He was the tallest man in the entire town, an impressive six feet tall. He stood erect and proud like a prince and his demeanor was aloof and reserved. The fact that, unlike many of the other men in town, he had never tried to woo a woman just added to his mystique and overall handsomeness.

The pair walked back to Alain's cabin like this, him engrossed in the book and her engrossed in Alain's face. Their thoughts were broken, however, as soon as they heard a loud booming sound emanating from Alain's cabin. The two glanced at each other quickly before running towards the cabin. As soon as they opened the door, smoke came out in droves, causing their eyes to water.

They climbed down the stairs, coughing, towards the basement. There, they saw Alain's father Maurice struggling to free himself from some strange contraption. Alain ran immediately to his side and began to help his father. Giselle stood near the door, holding a sleeve towards her nose to protect herself from the fumes. Finally, Maurice was free.

"I'll never get this damned contraption to work!" he shouted, kicking the strange machinery. This only resulted in a stubbed toe, however. Alain gave him words of sympathy, trying to calm his father down.

While father and son looked sadly upon the strange machine she understood nothing of, Giselle began to feel ignored. She gave a loud, purposeful cough. Immediately, both men's eyes turned towards her.

"Oh, Papa, I saw Giselle in town and she walked back with me," said Alain. Maurice turned to examine Giselle more closely.

She gave a small curtsy. Now that Alain would be paying more attention to his father than to her, it was time to say her goodbyes. She desired more than anything else to be alone with him. She gave the two men her most radiant smile.

"I'm afraid, Monsieurs, that it is time for me to leave," she said while motioning dramatically with her arm, "I am busy with the shop and must bid my farewells."

"Ah, goodbye Mademoiselle," replied Maurice and Alain in unison, giving a small bow in return. Giselle smiled again in return as she walked back up the stairs. Once she was finally out of the house, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"I wonder when people will stop calling me Mademoiselle, I hate it," she muttered under her breath before walking back to town and the chores that awaited her.

* * *

_A/N: Alain is the French form of the name "Alan," which means handsome. Giselle is a French name that means "hostage." The Beast won't be making an appearance until Chapter 3. Giselle, if you haven't noticed yet, is the female version of Gaston. Although she is __based off of Gaston, she is her own character and I hope I can give her a personality that won't feel like Gaston, but female. Lastly, I am setting up Alain and Giselle so the next few chapters will involve mostly them._

_I'd like to tank my friends kellusumi and conejito1011 for helping me with the story, looking over my draft, and giving me little plot bunnies to work with. You can find them on tumblr really easily, since those are their usernames._

_Finally, reviews are wanted and appreciated. This story will update soon, as I already have an outline of the next chapter. Expect the next chapter within the next week, most likely within the next two days. _


	3. Alain

As soon as he heard the tell-tale sound of Giselle closing the door outside, Alain turned towards his father. Maurice was still glaring at his failed invention as he sighed out loud.

"I'll never get this damned contraption working!" he complained with an annoyed look on his face. One could almost see him melodramatically resigning himself to a life of mediocrity, failure, and menial labor. Alain was used to his father's melodrama and tantrums, however. He approached his father and squeezed his shoulder.

"It's going to be alright, Papa," said Alain, "you're the best inventor I know!"

"I'm the only inventor you know!" he replied, albeit with a smile.

"Just don't give up, Papa," said Alain, "would you like for me to make some tea while you keep working?"

Already getting his tools ready to keep working, Maurice simply nodded in reply. Alain stood up, headed up the stairs to the kitchen, and put on some water with a few dried tea leaves to boil. Once it was done, he carried the kettle along with some milk and honey in a wooden tray back to the cellar.

He found his father laying down under the strange machine. Only his short legs stuck out from underneath while various tools lay around him in a disorganized mess

"I've brought you some tea, Papa," announced Alain.

Immediately, his father let go of his tools and slid out from under his beloved invention, still wearing magnifying goggles that comically enlarged his eyes. He sat up and headed towards a small work bench in one of the corners. Alain set the tray down and began to serve some of the tea. Both men sat down on stools and began to mix in honey and milk. Maurice thanked his son as he sat down. Alain gave him a simple reply as he followed suit. They fell into silence as they each began to drink their tea.

Maurice was the first to break the silence. "You're almost twenty years old now, son. Have you thought about marriage yet? A handsome man like you should marry a beautiful woman you know. Lke that Giselle girl, for example..."

A cough emanating from Alain interrupted Maurice, however. He was blushing furiously and he had spilled some of his tea.

"Papa!" he spit out.

"What is it, son?" replied Maurice, amused.

"What... what are you trying to imply?!" continued Alain as he wiped up his spilled tea.

Maurice chuckled at his son's panicked expression, as he rarely showed any emotion more extreme than excitement over a new book.

"I'm not trying to imply anything!" replied Maurice while trying, unsuccessfully, to look innocent, "I just want you to be happy. Is there anything wrong with Giselle? Or are none of the other women in town good enough for you?" he continued with a joking tone and a wink.

"It's not that, Papa," said Alain, "I just... can't seem to think of these women like... wives. It's just... weird. I've known the women in this town for too long to think of them as... lovers." He blushed and turned away at the last part.

"I just want you to be happy, Alain," said Maurice, amused at Alain's reaction to their conversation, "Though I would like to know why not Giselle in particular."

Alain frowned at that question. "Well, Giselle is... Giselle. She's beautiful, and I guess she's a good enough friend but she's, well, Giselle. What am I supposed to say about her? I just don't like her like that." He took a sip of tea at that point.

Maurice simply shrugged at his son's strange response, finished his last few drops of tea, and went back to work on his invention. Alain gulped down the last few drops of tea, then began to clean up, taking the tray, kettle, and cups back upstairs. As he cleaned, he tried to think of a reason as to why exactly he was not attracted to Giselle. She was breathtakingly beautiful, of course, and her family owned some of the most successful businesses in town. Yet, at the same time, when he thought of Giselle, he imagined a spider hiding behind a beautiful web while it waited for a pretty and juicy fly to pass by. He did not want to become a fly. A bigger problem crept up in the back of his mind, however. He tried to think of a time that he had ever been attracted to any women. He couldn't think of anyone. This just confused him even more.

He worked quietly, cleaning up after his father while thinking about Giselle, marriage, and love. A few minutes later, a sound emanating from underneath the invention interrupted his pondering.

"Hand me one of those gobbly do-dads, won't you son?" asked Maurice.

Alain heading towards one of the shelves on the wall where his father kept all the tools. He selected the requested instrument and handed it to his father. Maurice took the strange tool and began to tighten something underneath. Alain didn't understand any of it. He took out one of his newest books and began to read while his father worked. The two men remained focused on their respective tasks, saying nothing to each other as they worked. Eventually, however, Maurice emerged from underneath with a yelp of excitement.

"It's done!" He yelled.

"Is it?" Alain approached for a closer look. He did not understand the completed invention, as his father never explained anything before he finished it. It was a tradition of sorts. But now his father approached the invention and what looked like a lever. He pulled this and ducked while the machine began churning. It grabbed some wood, chopped it neatly in half, and threw it across the room when it lay in a neat pile. It continued in its task, chopping wood quickly and efficiently.

"You did it, Papa!"

"Why I... I did!" Maurice said with a disbelieving tone. The two ducked down as the wood flew over their heads, "This will knock their socks off at the fair tomorrow!"

"Congratulations, Papa!" said Alain with a gigantic grin that matched his father's. Maurice ducked and crouched towards his invention. He pulled a different lever and turned off the wood chopper.

"Time to pack, I suppose," he said while looking proudly at his machine. He began to disassemble his wood chopper while Alain headed upstairs to get everything ready for the trip.

* * *

Alain loaded some food and drinks unto the cart where his father's invention was already loaded. Alain made a mental checklist of all the things his father need for the overnight journey to Paris, where the inventor's fair was held. As far as he could tell, his father had everything he would need. Then, he walked towards their stable, where the untied their horse Phillippe from the stable and led and tied him to the cart. As soon as he had securely tied Phillippe to the cart, his father came out of the house, holding an old map in one hand and an equally old wide-brimmed hat. He waddled up to Alain and Phillippe, clearly ready to leave. He hugged his son, a gesture Alain returned.

"I packed you a lot of food, Papa," he said, "but I added a few coins just in case you need to buy anything.

"Oh, I don't know what I'd do without you, Alain," said Maurice with a chuckle as he got on top of Philippe, "I would have probably died by now! Now take care of yourself, you hear?"

"I will, Papa," replied Alain with a smile on his face. Maurice gave him a last grin before setting off. Alain waved at his father until he entered the forest and he couldn't see him anymore. He stared at the trees for a little while, half expecting something to come out. Nothing, however, came out of the forest, so Alain turned around and headed back inside, already impatient for his father to come back from what was destined to be a successful time at the fair.

* * *

_A/N: So it finally starts getting interesting doesn't it? I hope so at least. Reviews are wanted and appreciated. The next update should be within the next week, since it's planned out, it just needs to be typed down and edited._

___Once again, I'd like to tank my friends kellusumi and conejito1011 for helping me with the story, looking over my draft, and giving me little plot bunnies to work with. You can find them on tumblr really easily, since those are their usernames._


	4. The Beast

The Beast paced around his chambers in the West Wing. He rarely did anything else, though occasionally he would look out a window, take a nap, or just stare off into space and sulk. He did not have to do anything for himself, considering Mrs. Potts brought him food and Cogsworth and Lumiere would make sure any other necessary functions were taken care of for him.

Sometimes he considered doing something, if only for the sake of variety, but he never did. What was he supposed to do anyway? He couldn't remember what he did as a human for fun and only Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth would approach him willingly and they weren't very good sources of entertainment. They were probably the only ones in the entire castle who still hoped the curse would one day break. But he knew better. He knew the curse would never be broken, so he might as well get used to living as a beast. The enchanted rose, glowing brightly a few feet away, mocked him.

The Beast continued to sulk and pace, unsuccessfully trying to avoid looking directly at the rose. Sounds coming from the entrance interrupted his sulking, however. He could hear what sounded exactly like the giant, un-oiled front door being opened. He tried to think of a reason of why his servants would open the doors to the outside but his mind was blank. Intrigued, he left his room for the first time in days and headed downstairs. As he approached the front hall, he began to hear what sounded like a muffled "Hello" from the entrance hall.

Sure enough, as he approached he saw a portly old man talking to Lumiere and Cogsworth close to the front doors. He looked bemused by the talking clock and candelabra, but must not have cared much as he seemed to take the surreal situation in stride. The man sneezed, earning a few remarks from his servants. Despite his acute sense of hearing, the Beast could not make out any of what they were saying. He imagined they must have been explaining why the man had to leave and why he must never talk about the castle to anyone else.

Therefore, the Beast was surprised when Lumiere and Cogsworth began to lead the man into a den. It was the only room other than his bedroom that the Beast visited often, as the room contained his favorite armchair and fireplace. He stared at the closed door for a while. A few minutes later, he saw Mrs. Potts enter the room on her cart, doubtless with a cup of soothing tea and a few snacks. He could tell she hadn't noticed him lurking in the shadows.

Seeing a stranger, particularly a peasant, entering that room felt like a personal insult. They might as well have invited the man into his private bedroom. The real affront came from his servants' treatment of the man, however. He tried to remember time when anyone had been welcoming and friendly to him, talking to him for the sake of talking, but he couldn't remember a single time in his entire life, including before he had turned. Mrs. Potts sort of had, but that had been when he was a small child and definitely before the curse.

The Beast knew his thinking was not rational. He knew the man, who was obviously just a lost peasant, had done nothing personally wrong to him on purpose. But he wanted him to leave and to never come back. Seeing a human brought back the painful memories and his servants' friendliness made everything worse, as it reminded him of how he was fated to never be loved by anyone.

He moved towards the door to the sitting room and opened the door suddenly and dramatically. Almost instantly, all of the fires inside the room went out. He heard a tiny "Uh-oh" from Chip, who was never too far from his mother and Cogsworth shivering in fear.

"There's a stranger here," he finally said, trying, but failing, to keep his voice steady.

He heard Lumiere's voice trying to explain the situation. He roared at him, extinguishing his lights before he could get much out. Cogsworth then perked up and tried to explain as well, but he was not interested in listening to him, so he roared, causing him to crawl under the carpet. Finally, he set his eyes upon the stranger sitting in his favorite chair. He looked scared out of his mind, making the Beast feel a small twinge of guilt, but he just wanted to scare the man away from his castle.

He strutted towards the chair and saw the man turn his head side to side, trying to tune in to the monster's location.

"WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he growled at the man. The Beast moved so his face was right across from the stranger's.

"I was lost in the woods and…" the stranger stopped mid-sentence and stared at the beast. The stranger's face, which had shown fear before, now looked positively terrified. Was that how everyone would react to seeing his face? Would anyone ever look at him without flinching? This man's reaction managed to turn his anger into pure rage.

"YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!" shouted the Beast.

"I'm sorry," the man's voice was weak and terrified. Even so, he refused to take his eyes away from the Beast.

"WHAT ARE YOU STARING AT?" he growled at the man, trying to show as much of his teeth as possible.

"Noth…noth…nothing," said the man, who was obviously trying not to offend the angry beast.

"COME TO STARE AT THE BEAST HAVE YOU?" he taunted, adding an even deeper growl to the accusation.

"Please, I meant no harm! I just needed a place to stay," the man tried to get away, but the Beast was too fast for him.

"I'LL GIVE YOU A PLACE TO STAY," He grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and headed towards the jail cells on top of one of the castle's towers. He didn't actually know what he was going to do with the stranger. He had no use for him and he certainly did not want him to die on his castle. He made a mental note to have Mrs. Potts take some food and tea over later to the jail cell. He would probably release the man in a few days, after the man had learned his lesson about trespassing and the Beast had calmed down.

For now, he went back to his chambers, ready to pace and sulk again as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

A few hours and miles away, in a small provincial village, Giselle woke up early with the sun. She began to clean her face and to brush her hair, getting ready for the day. She put on one of her best dresses. She slipped on a simple pair of white flats and began to look through her jewelry box for the perfect accessories. Right as she was trying to decide whether to wear pearls or gold, she heard a door opening that could only mean one thing.

"Daddy!" Giselle ran downstairs towards the front door, where, sure enough, stood her father with a dead deer strewn across his shoulders and a rifle slung across his back. He saw his daughter at the foot of the stairs, gave her a peck on the cheek, which she returned, and headed towards the dining room, where he set down the dead deer with a loud thump. Giselle followed her father and met her mother in the kitchen.

She was still wearing her nightgown while working in the kitchen, no doubt making something for breakfast. She set down some eggs and her utensils on the counter and headed over towards her husband, who slung his rifle over a chair and sat down. Giselle's mother headed towards her husband and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Breakfast is almost ready, Louis," she said, heading back towards the kitchen, "I'm making a quiche!"

Giselle stayed close to her father as she observed how he stared at the deer, almost as if he was expecting it to come back to life and run away. Finally, he spoke, "Giselle, please take this deer outside, I'll go clean it after breakfast," he said in a deep and gravelly voice. Giselle's face sank.

"But Daddy, I can't carry a deer in this dress!" she complained.

Finally, Louis turned around and truly looked at his daughter for the first time. He frowned, obviously concerned about the cleavage.

As if she sensed his concern, Giselle rolled her eyes and replied, "Oh, Daddy, you're so old-fashioned! Half the girls in town are wearing dresses even more revealing than this! They might as well wear nothing on top, seeing as how you can see practically everything."

Her father said nothing, although he clearly still disapproved of his daughter's choices in clothes. Honoring his daughter's request, he stood up, slung the deer across his shoulder and carried it through the kitchen towards their back porch, where he kept the bucket and knives he used to clean his hunts. Once he came back to the dining room, Giselle had already cleaned the table and was in the process of setting down the plates and spoons. After she was done, she sat down and looked at her father. By the way she was sitting and staring at him, Louis could already tell she was going to ask for something. He sighed and sat down next to his daughter.

"So what do you want?" he said.

"Oh, Daddy, you know me best!" said Giselle with a small giggle. Louis couldn't help but smile in return. As much as he had wanted a son, even having the perfect name already prepared, Gaston, he was happy with his daughter, who helped him on his hunts and liked to talk to him. In return, he spoiled his daughter as much as he could, buying her dresses and jewelry simply because she asked.

"Believe it or not, Daddy, I'm not asking for a necklace or a new dress this time," she said.

_Maybe she wants a diamond crown?_ thought Louis. He began to take a drink of water, thirsty from the early morning hunt. Giselle cleared her throat, obviously ready to announce her new desire.

"I want a husband!" she finally announced, causing Louis to spit out his drink.

"WHAT?" he shouted as soon as he got some of his composure back. He began to protest, "BUT YOU'RE TOO YOUNG!"

Giselle appeared unfazed.

"Oh, Daddy, I'm eighteen years old now, a lot of the girls in town are younger than I am and already have babies!" she pouted, "Besides, you don't even know what man I swear is going to become my husband!"

Annoyed at the fact her daughter was making sense, she was at a perfect age to get married after all, Louis asked her with frown, "so who's the lucky man then?"

Giselle giggled and stared off into space, obviously imagining her beau. He hoped she was picturing him clothed. Finally, as if she had snapped back to reality, she simply said, "Alain," and giggled again.

"The inventor's son?" he asked, a little surprised at the choice, "But he's…"

"Handsome! I know"

"No, I mean he's kind of…"

"Worthy enough to accompany me down the aisle?"

"Well, isn't he kind of….

"Oh, Daddy, from the first moment that I met him I said, 'He's gorgeous!'" she began to stare into space once again. Taking advantage of his daughter's daydreaming, Louis spoke.

"Well, sure, Giselle, but isn't he kind of… odd?"

"Oh sure," she replied almost instantly, "but he's just incredibly handsome and the only man in town good enough for me. Besides, so what if he's eccentric? It doesn't change the fact he's gorgeous! He's the best in town! And don't I deserve the best, Daddy?" It sounded almost like a threat.

Louis shook his head and sighed, albeit with a smile. As much as he despised the idea of his innocent little daughter getting married, he knew Giselle's choice was not a bad one at all. Alain was more than just handsome. Louis knew he wouldn't harm a hair on his daughter's head. The few times he saw him or his father in town, they looked healthy and fit, even in the winter season when food was scarce. They would have to have a lot of food and money to keep themselves that healthy, and in the case of the father, that fat.

"Can you believe our daughter is thinking of marriage already, Marie?" asked Louis.

"Oh, no, I feel as if I was changing diapers just a few days ago," replied his wife with a shake of her head. Giselle, overhearing their exchange, simply grinned mischievously at the two of them. Marie headed towards the table and set down the quiche in the middle, along with a knife and a spatula, sitting down next to her husband. She immediately began to cut and serve breakfast and the three ate mostly in silence. Once they were finished, the dishes were put away, and Louis had taken out his rifle in order to clean and maintain it. Conversation returned once again to Giselle's desire for marriage.

"So has the boy told you he wants to marry you yet?" asked Louis while his eyes remained focused on his gun. _And if he's done anything more than that, this gun is good for more than just killing deer._

For the first time, however, Giselle seemed unsatisfied with her marriage plan. She sighed.

"No, he's so clueless, if it keeps going like this, I think I'll be the one asking for his hand in marriage!" Louis could practically see her pouting, even without looking at her.

"Well, some men are just like that, you know," said Marie wisely from the background. "They're just clueless! Though if he doesn't propose we can have a talk with his father and make arrangements that way. It's a little old-fashioned but if he doesn't propose we can always go that route, Giselle."

"Really?" said Giselle, sounding hopeful and love-struck once more.

"Sure, whatever makes you happy," said Marie. Louis made a grunt of agreement as well. The three receded back into silence as Marie went into the kitchen to clean while Giselle watched her father work on his gun. Eventually, however, she came up with a plan to deal with Alain. She stood up suddenly and dramatically, causing her father to drop his gun, thankfully unloaded, to the ground.

"I know what I'm going to do now!" she announced as her parents stared at her, bemused. She moved towards the kitchen and frantically began to chop vegetables, crush herbs, and mix sauces. Her parents stared at her for a bit but quickly went back to work. Finally, half an hour later, Giselle pushed the vegetable and sauce mix into their little oven inside a fancy casserole dish.

She searched inside the kitchen cupboards until she found a basket perfect for a picnic. She put some cups, dishes, and cutlery inside along with a loaf of bread. Finally, she took the ratatouille out of the oven. She set it down to cool while she headed upstairs to her room, where she brushed her hair once again and put on her fine gold jewelry. She spent a further half hour putting on makeup and making it look just right. Last of all, she grabbed some cloth and stuffed it down her dress. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked perfect, nicer than her everyday wear but still casual enough to not make it seem like she was trying too hard.

She ran back downstairs towards her ratatouille. She covered the casserole dish and placed it gingerly inside the basket. Then, she climbed down into the cellar, where she chose a small bottle of wine. She walked back upstairs, and tucked it inside the basket. She tried to think of anything missing but she was convinced everything was ready. As she was making to leave, however, a grunt from her father stopped her. He was still on the table taking care of his guns.

"What is it, Daddy?" she asked, a little impatiently.

"I want you to be happy, Giselle, but if you whore yourself out, I won't consider you my daughter anymore," he said without taking his eyes from his gun. Giselle frowned at his remark, not knowing where her father's remark had come from.

She left the house, making sure she didn't step in anything unsavory as she walked, as she was wearing white shoes after all. Finally, after she was far away from her house, she pulled down her dress just a little to give her dress even more cleavage. It could only help her chances, after all.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter took a little longer than I thought to write, not because I couldn't think of anything but because I was lazy. I was only motivated to write one day when there was no internet and nothing else, really, to do. Also, I was surprised at how fun and easy it was to write in the Beast's voice. I thought he would be the hardest to write, but Alain is the character I'm finding most difficult to write about. Chapter 4 hopefully coming out soon, where we finally get to the castle._

_Reviews are loved and appreciated, so please, please, please leave one, along with any questions or other comments. Thanks!_**  
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